


Destiny and Dumbassery

by through-the-stars-to-the-pavement (delicate_mageflower)



Series: Fire and Sword [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mentioned Mai/Suki/Ty Lee, Mutual Pining, Post-Hundred Year War - Freeform, Sokka being too big a bisexual disaster for his normal regularly scheduled skepticism, Sokka loves Zuko more than he doubts fortunetelling, Sokka slowly becoming a pai sho master, Sokka's like WHY, Tea Shop, The Jasmine Dragon, Ultimate Wingwoman Aunt Wu, Uncle Iroh/Aunt Wu, Zukka Week 2021, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko's like WHAT, he tries though, idiots to lovers, there is an actual chance this was in fact a spiritual intervention, they are so oblivious, this is kind of a different writing direction for me so here's hoping it works
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-24 00:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30063933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delicate_mageflower/pseuds/through-the-stars-to-the-pavement
Summary: Sokka and Zuko—the very best of friends, just dudes being bros—take a trip to visit Uncle Iroh in Ba Sing Se. Absolutely nothing about this goes as predicted (depending on who you ask, anyway).[Zukka Week 2021, Day 3:Teaor CoffeeShop///Friends to Lovers]
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Fire and Sword [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2209962
Comments: 12
Kudos: 57





	Destiny and Dumbassery

Zuko asking Sokka to accompany him on his trip to Ba Sing Se has nothing to do with either of their recent breakups, no, not at all.

(Who ever would have guessed their exes would find greater happiness as part of a triad with each other? Their splits had been one hundred percent amicable, tied to incompatible sexualities rather than a clash in personalities, and Mai, Suki, and Ty Lee are all very good together, which is what matters. As for Sokka and Zuko, themselves…well…)

(Never underestimate the power of friendship. Yes, _friendship._ Such good friends they are. Totally platonic. Absolutely. Nothing to see here. Certainly nothing gay. Who said gay?)

They’ll be staying with Uncle Iroh while they’re here, with Mai running things in the Fire Nation for the duration of their vacation.

They’re sure this will be a standard visit: a few days catching up over tea and pai sho, Iroh talking their ears off about new blends, Sokka legitimately getting closer and closer to winning a game while Zuko makes his kicked-poodlemonkey face.

It’s a predictable journey but never taken for granted. Time here is always beautiful and beloved, no matter how many of the same beats their stories follow each time.

However, that is _not_ what happens this time.

For it is not Iroh who greets them at the front of the shop, no. It is a face both Sokka and Zuko recognize, but one which neither of them had seen in years.

“No way,” Sokka sighs. “Aunt Wu?”

Lucky Sokka spoke first, given that Zuko had never learned her name. They met only briefly, in passing, during a time of his life Zuko would much prefer never to have to think about. In all honesty, he actually had forgotten about her until now.

“We’ve been expecting you!” she responds eagerly.

“Yeah, no shit,” Sokka replies in audible irritation. “We planned this trip weeks ago, Uncle has been expecting us this whole time.”

“Oh Sokka, honey. I see so much yet so very little has changed.”

Sokka mutters something under his breath which sounds a lot like “I hate you” and “just my luck,” and Zuko only shrugs.

This is the first twist of the trip. It is far from the last.

***

Alright, fine, so maybe Sokka’s been harboring some rather inconvenient feelings for Zuko ever since they broke his dad and Suki out of Boiling Rock. (Did they have to hold hands for _that long_ on the gondola? Was there a message in there? A hint his feelings are reciprocated? He doesn’t know and at this point he’s too afraid to ask.)

And he first loved Zuko as a friend, and they will always be friends. What’s most important is they’re always there for each other, and they always will be.

But if Aunt Wu has anything to say about this, Sokka swears he will _riot._

***

Is it really relevant Zuko has been completely lost for Sokka for years? That he was so confused about how he’d feel whenever Sokka is around him, until he was no longer confused and instead anxious and overwhelmed.

Yeah, sure, he is in love with his best friend and it’s a little annoying but he’ll deal with it because he knows it’s unrequited and that’s cool, it is what it is, it kind of sucks but what can be done. He’ll be Sokka’s friend. He can be happy being Sokka’s friend, and _that_ he actually means. As long as Sokka is a part of his life, he’ll get through the rest.

(But like, it is unrequited, right? Sometimes the way Sokka looks at him… No, there’s no way, it can’t be. It’s a nice dream, but looking into it any further could ruin everything and he’s not taking that risk.)

This Aunt Wu situation is interesting, though. Aside from Zuko’s initial surprise and Sokka’s scathing need to express his innate disbelief in her at any and every given opportunity… _what if…_

He should not ask her if he has a chance with Sokka. For all he knows, Sokka’s right and she’s a fake and he’s setting himself up for false hope and breaking his own heart.

So no, he should not under any circumstances ask her if she has any input on his relationship with Sokka. His friendship, that is, which is the specific nature of said relationship, unchanging. Yep. No use investigating.

***

Sokka and Zuko are idiots.

They are, truly, utter fucking idiots.

One does not have to be psychic to see this.

But Aunt Wu wastes no time in pointing it out to Uncle Iroh.

As though he didn’t know already.

***

Zuko is doing more poking at his food with his chopsticks than eating. “So…how did you two…”

It isn’t to say he’s not pleased to see his uncle has found love again. It’s only that he didn’t expect it. And perhaps he’s a little jealous, a smidge bitter.

But that’s not what’s important here.

“Destiny is a funny thing,” Iroh answers cheerfully.

“All the Earth Kingdom has heard about your uncle’s wonderful tea,” Aunt Wu speaks with as much delight. “So I had to come and try it for myself. We recognized one another and got to talking and the rest…”

Sokka is not amused. “Let me guess. She told you she predicted tea would follow her to her soulmate or something.”

“Oh no!” Aunt Wu laughs, and Sokka looks about ready to flip the table. “He won’t let me tell him _anything._ Reminds me a little of you.”

Sokka again grumbles something unintelligible, and Zuko stuffs a whole large dumpling into his own mouth to keep himself from reacting.

***

“Sokka?”

Sokka is not in the mood for this, to be pulled aside by Aunt Wu in the halls of the tea shop, while Zuko helps serve and the locals comment on how long it’s been since they had last seen “Lee” and how it’s funny they never noticed before how much he looks like the Fire Lord…

“What?”

Aunt Wu’s smile is soft, nothing at all like the cocky know-it-all grin Sokka is so sure he remembers her as having. “I have to say, I was wrong about you.”

He must have misheard that.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I said I was wrong about you. You and Zuko seem _very_ happy together. Sometimes it’s nice when my predictions don’t turn out. You are very sweet with each other.”

Well, that just proves it as far as Sokka’s concerned. Total fraud, no way around it now.

“Shows what you know,” he huffs. “Zuko and I are just friends. That’s all we’ll ever be.”

“Hm.” And _there’s_ that face, that _I know more than you_ smirk. Which she doesn’t. Because this is all nonsense. Fortunetelling isn’t real.

(But what if?)

***

“You love him, don’t you?” Aunt Wu asks Zuko, and her question sounds rhetorical.

“Huh, and Sokka says there’s no such thing as psychics,” Zuko replies in perfect deadpan.

“Oh sweetie, but you two are so obvious,” she says, and Zuko hopes the floor beneath his feet will open up and swallow him whole. “And so _oblivious,_ oh my. You should tell him how you feel. But don’t tell him you heard it from me!”

She walks away and Zuko can only stare.

_What the fuck is happening?_

_Are we really entertaining this?_

_Oh, spirits._

***

They are both going to explode.

They’ve retired to the guest room (singular), both of them staring at the guest bed (again, singular).

Uncle Iroh usually prepares better. He usually leaves out extra sleeping mats. It’s not like him to neglect such a detail.

Oh no. He must be in on it, too.

“So, umm…I can take the floor if you…” Zuko clears his throat and looks exclusively at the ceiling. “You know. You should have the bed. It’ll be more comfortable.”

“They did this on purpose, didn’t they?” Sokka’s doing this— _is he really doing this?_ —he’s getting it over with. It’ll be awkward and it’ll hurt but they’ll clear the air and he’ll laugh in Aunt Wu’s face and then they’ll move past it.

It’ll be fine.

“What do…what do you mean?” Zuko knows exactly what he means. He’s been caught, and now it has to be _a thing,_ and maybe this would be a good time for some tea. Yeah, he’ll go back down to the shop and put on a pot and then they will just never finish this conversation and it’ll be great.

“Fuck, Zuko…” Sokka looks frustrated and exhausted, and he just wants to be able to go to sleep in peace but here they are. “I’m sorry, I never wanted to have to bring this up and I know this is gonna make things weird and I really hope we’ll get through it because you’re my best friend, but… Aunt Wu may have figured out I, uh, kind of have… _feelings._ Umm, for you. But that doesn’t mean she’s for real! She just picked up…a vibe? I don’t know. But now, uh, now _you_ know, and something tells me Uncle Iroh figured it out, too, and I’m not sure what they were trying to pull here, but…well. I’m gonna go, ah, literally anywhere that isn’t right here. Cool? Cool.”

“You… Sokka, _you_ have feelings for _me?_ Like, uh, romance-y feelings?”

“Yes, Zuko, _romance-y feelings._ I know, okay, we don’t have to make this any bigger of a deal.”

“Huh.” Zuko looks almost amused. “Aunt Wu was right.”

“No, of course she wasn—wait, what?”

“She told me I should tell you how I feel. She could tell and she said we were _both_ being oblivious and I figured you were right but no, she was…Sokka, Aunt Wu was right.”

Sokka is ready to argue, to find some way to call bullshit, and Zuko’s waiting for it, but that is not how it goes down. Not this time.

No, Sokka closes the distance between them and pulls Zuko by the collar and kisses him until neither of them can fucking breathe, and Zuko kisses back just as hard and just as long, matching all of Sokka’s passion perfectly.

Zuko pushes Sokka onto that lone bed, and Sokka quickly flips them over and they can’t keep their hands off each other, fingers and lips and tongues taking control, brains shutting off as bodies move like they’ve wanted for so long, and…

And roughly thirty feet away, behind another sliding door, Aunt Wu lets out a knowing laugh and Uncle Iroh whispers, _“Finally.”_


End file.
